David Allen Schlaefer is a diplomat, author, and globetrotter who started his life in tropical south Texas at the Mexican border and wound up 10,000 miles away in the snowy wonderland of Finland. Along the way, he’s lived in Hong Kong and Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Bucharest, Kiev and Mexico, and served alongside the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in Iraq where he won a Commander’s Award for Civilian Service. David’s interest in all things Finnish began at a young age when he discovered the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, and its stories about shamans, witches, warriors, and magic. He jumped at the opportunity to work at the US Embassy in Helsinki and study Finnish language and culture for almost five years. A member of the Kalevala Society and author of articles on the influence of the Finnish language and Kalevala on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, David turned to the Far Northern Land Saga to bring Finnish myths to life for a new generation of fantasy fans. 

David is the Senior Advisor for War Crimes and Accountability in Ukraine in the Office for Global Criminal Justice at the US Department of State. Previously, David served as Deputy Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.